Senate deal to boost Russia sanctions seen as imminent

Senior senators in both parties on Monday night reached a bipartisan deal to add new sanctions on Russia and allow Congress to disapprove of any attempt by President Donald Trump to ease penalties on Moscow, the most significant Republican-backed constraint on the White House so far this year.

The agreement negotiated by Foreign Relations and Banking Committee leaders in both parties, with the involvement of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), allows both parties to claim a measure of victory — delivering a legislative win for McConnell while fulfilling the three basic goals Schumer had outlined for a Russia sanctions measure.

One Senate Democratic aide said negotiators are close to a Russia sanctions deal but still reviewing details. The Senate late Monday formally took up an Iran sanctions bill that the Russia proposal would ultimately be attached to, setting the stage for the text of an agreement to emerge as soon as Monday night.

"After more than a week of discussions, we’re close to a deal," Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), one of the senators involved in the Russia talks, said in a statement. "But it’s important to emphasize that the details of this amendment matter immensely and that’s what we’re reviewing at this time.”

Corker told reporters the Russia deal would provide for congressional review of any future rollbacks of Russia sanctions, a plan pushed by Schumer as well as Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). The review language would be structured "much like we did in other places," such as the 2015 legislation that required former President Barack Obama to submit his administration's nuclear pact with Iran to Congress, Corker said.

Banking Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), a key player in the Russia sanctions talks, acknowledged that "I have had concerns with" the congressional review provisions but added that "if we can set it up adequately, then I'm open."

A White House spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment Monday night on the prospect of a Russia sanctions deal, which would face an uncertain future in the House.

Asked about the prospects of a veto threat, the Foreign Relations panel's top Democrat, Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, told reporters Monday that while "there's no administration that wants Congress interfering" with its sanctions policy, "I think we'll have the support of the administration" for any bipartisan Russia deal that might pass this week.

Schumer reiterated his desire for a deal in a floor speech Monday, saying "Democrats feel strongly that Russia sanctions should move alongside Iran sanctions, and we're prepared to do what we can to make sure that we get a vote on a good amendment — hopefully a bipartisan one."